Jesse Mulligan: These Are My Top 5 International Cuisines. Tell Me I’m Wrong

We all had so much fun watching the World Cup of Football, it’s time to relive some of that excitement with Jesse’s World Cup of Food. Think of me as Fifa president Gianni Infantino, a popular man of the people who ... oh. Well then think of me as What are the world’s greatest cuisines? I want to tell you my thoughts but mostly I want you to push back – to tell me that I’m wrong, and why. Tell me your top five, and if you’re convincing enough perhaps we’ll form a consensus.Quick disclaimer: international food isn’t divided by arbitrary political borders; nor do the delicate flavours of Cantonese cooking deserve to be lumped in with the spicy intensity of Sichuan cuisine. One of my roles as a food critic is to discourage you from thinking in terms of countries, by educating you instead on the cuisines of the world’s great regions. But not today. My Top Five cuisines: Indian Absolutely nothing compares to the mystery of masala – the way three, five, 15 spices can each lend something tiny yet crucial to the mix. You simply can’t beat a spicy, aromatic gravy with smoky pink meat cooked in the tandoor, and yet India is paradise for vegetarians too (so much so that on my recent flight to Europe I chose “Indian Veg” as my dietary option and ate like a king while those around me nibbled around the edges of their standard meals). Brilliant when expensive, arguably even better when cheap, there is so much more to discover than curry and yet even curry would be enough.Japanese It was close for second, but Japanese food isn’t just a sensory experience, it’s a state of mind. The most famous dish, sushi, has colonised the world (sometimes literally) and created the mouthful of extraordinary pleasure from barely two ingredients. But the list of iconic Japanese meals is long: ramen, tempura, yakitori … you could visit Tokyo for a month and never eat the same thing twice. The Japan of Europe. France without the fuss. Alongside Italy’s famous dishes (need I really list them?) are ingredients we would never even have heard of if it weren’t for the patient producers who’ve spent generations perfecting them. Mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, pesto Genovese … the secret to a great international cuisine is that food must play a central, dominant role in daily life. Sit in on a traditional Sunday lunch anywhere in Italy and tell me that’s not true. Turkish A month ago this would never have made the list but I had a life-changing meal in (of all places) the Turkish Airlines lounge at Istanbul Airport, and I’m now convinced we need more of this food in Auckland. Where are our great Turkish restaurants? Where is the salad bar where I can heap my plate with çoban, gavurdağı and kısır (yes I googled them – we’re all on our own journey)? I’d love us to move beyond döner kebab into pide and gözleme, then Türk kahvesi with baklava. Given that this list is all about Europe and Asia, it’s fitting that one of the entries should be a cuisine that belongs to both.Thai We take it for granted, but this is the cuisine that helped drag New Zealand out of the 1980s and into the cosmopolitan 21st century. It’s ubiquitous enough that everyone has their favourite dish, but exciting enough that there’s always something on the menu you haven’t tried. More than any other style of food, Thai is about the happy tension between sour, spicy, sweet and salty. It is affordable and approachable for home cooks, but a great meal from an accomplished chef reminds you of how truly good this food can get. What do you think? Who is missing from my top five? Korean is the obvious one, but there’s also Lebanese and Filipino, Mexican and Ethiopian. I want to hear your reckons, but more importantly I want to eat them. The debate is fun, but best settled over dinner. What do you think of Jesse's top five? Email Jesse your thoughts and suggestions Send email More from Jesse Mulligan